


Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

by Accal1a



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Fights, Gen, I blame Lemon Squad, M/M, Magic, Party, Sassy Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 16:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14116098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accal1a/pseuds/Accal1a
Summary: After the ley line activates at the warlock party to introduce Lorenzo Rey to warlock society in New York, Magnus and Lorenzo have a show down when Lorenzo turns on him.





	Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> For [Causteek](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Causteek)'s prompt:
> 
> When Lorenzo accuses him of tapping into the Ley Line's power causing chaos at the party, Magnus' response? "I don't need the ley line's power." 
> 
> Proceeds to bust that shit up like the True High Warlock/Badass he is.
> 
> I hope you like it, my dear.
> 
> (Title by the awesome, [bcnedrah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcnedrah), meaning this fic is a true collab of Lemon Squad Admins :D)

Magnus knew that the party was a bad idea, even before they got there.

Warlock politics was always an odd subject. There were centuries old rifts to be navigated around, egos rubbing up against each other, half the people in the room had slept with at least six other people there and it was just a general mess on all fronts.

It was customary for the new High Warlock to throw a party, it was also customary for the old High Warlock to attend (if they were still alive). It was always a bit of a sticking point when the old High Warlock was there. They very rarely retired, although it wasn't unheard of, and those parties were the exception to the rule. They ended up being a celebration of a life well lived, a time when the outgoing High Warlock regaled people of their time in the job and crowed about how wonderful the next century or so of retirement was going to be. These ones were just a slog. Unfortunately, as he was one of the two parties involved, he really couldn't duck out of the social engagement, which was a shame. At least Alec was there with him.

Sometimes, like now, there was some sort of coup d'etat, which meant that these parties were incredibly awkward, almost hostile. Still, it would have been the height of rudeness not to attend. Actually Magnus wasn't sure whether he'd be breaking some sort of Warlock Council rule if he didn't go. That was just what he needed, to be brought up on charges as well as everything else. In actuality he couldn't believe his actions _hadn't_ caused him to be brought up, his centuries of general good standing must have counted for something.

He just couldn't help the bad feeling that had clawed it's way into his gut when he had got the invitation, when he'd found out that the new High Warlock was none other than _Lorenzo Rey_ of all people. New York was going to have it's hands full. He was just grateful that the other four High Warlock's in New York were at least competent, if not groundbreaking. He couldn't see any of them wanting to be on the Downworld Council. It wasn't just by dint of his attachment to Alexander that he was on the Council, it was also because the other four hadn't wanted to be anywhere near it. The High Warlock of Queens had said that they didn't want to be anywhere near it because it would 'implode at any moment, and I like my apartment' which had made Magnus roll his eyes so hard they'd nearly fallen out of his skull.

“Lorenzo, lovely to see you!” Magnus said, putting out his hand.

“Magnus, it's been a while!” Lorenzo responded, clasping his hand firmly.

They were both very well aware of the number of eyes on them and they didn't want to cause a scene. For the sake of everyone else there, and everyone who would have to work with Lorenzo in the future, Magnus didn't want to colour their opinion of him. It was better to draw a very definitive line in the sand about the transfer of power. He'd seen these sorts of things go completely downhill because of old allegiances to the old High Warlock not moving over to the new one, which ended up with two warring warlock factions causing havoc. He was fairly certain that the Tunguska event hadn't been a meteorite, but with no one injured and no-one there who spoke about it, there was little either the Clave or the Warlock Council could do about investigating it. 

Lorenzo, for his part, just didn't want to look bad in front of his guests. If he could needle Magnus enough that the other warlock could make a fool out of himself in front of his new constituents, then that would be even better.

The party went as well as it was going to for at least two hours. Magnus was surrounded by people who were either smug that he was out, or who wanted to plot to somehow get him back in, and he didn't really have the energy for either. 

Then all hell broke loose. 

Magdalena Way was transported seven feet in the air and then stayed floating near the ceiling, a soft blue light encompassing her, and her limbs flailing as she tried to cast magic to counteract the spell.

Magnus initially thought that it was just warlock hi-jinks, although it did seem to be a little early in the evening for drunk warlock games. When Magdalena screamed that she couldn't get down, and no-one owned up to playing a prank, he started to get concerned.

“The Ley Line's spitting power!” Magnus cried. “Alec, stay back! Everyone, defensive magic! Anyone who's worked with Ley Lines before, to me! Everyone else, get to safety!”

Magnus hadn't meant to take charge like that, he'd just worked on instinct. He certainly hadn't done it to step on anyone's toes. Lorenzo hadn't thought of it like that, because _of course_ he hadn't. If the situation hadn't been so dangerous, Magnus would have been rolling his eyes so hard they would once more be in the back of his skull. 

“Everyone get towards the ley line, I'll guide you through the ritual to close the rift! Don't back away!” Lorenzo cried.

“Trying to use this magic and not knowing how it works could hurt people, Lorenzo!” Magnus replied, furious that Lorenzo was putting people at risk.

“You're not in charge anymore, Bane. Everyone! Do as I say!”

Magnus changed his intent, checking and defending all those warlocks who were inexperienced or understandably terrified. Those who he knew could hold their own, he trusted to do what was best, without his direction, to close the rift or protect people as necessary. He knew that he could have helped, but it was more important to keep the people safe who were defenceless, than put his magic elsewhere. Whatever he did was going to rub Lorenzo up the wrong way, so he did what he always did. He protected those who needed it.

Once the rift was closed, four warlocks were drained of their magic entirely, panting and struggling to sit up on the floor. Six warlocks were sporting burns and bruises and were being healed by Cat and a cabal of other healers. Lorenzo was standing still in the spot where the rift had disappeared.

“Magnus. What the hell was that?” He said, spinning round, his eyes finding his adversary almost immediately.

“What was _what_ , Lorenzo?” Magnus replied, losing patience and tired from the amount of magic he'd had to expend in the last half an hour.

“You! Look at these people, if you had listened to me and hadn't done your own thing, they wouldn't be hurt!”

“Now hang on a...”

“No. You 'hang on'. I'm in charge now. Me. You do what I say. _When_ I say it.” Lorenzo said, walking so that he was directly in front of Magnus, prodding his finger into his chest. “Do you understand me?”

Magus looked up into his eyes, batting his finger away.

“I will do what you tell me, as long as it doesn't endanger the lives of those around me. If it does? I'll ignore you every damn time.”

Lorenzo looked like he was going to say something more, but then he spun, taking in the people who were all staring at him. He made sure he had everyone's attention, before he turned back to Magnus.

“I suppose this is how you managed to stay High Warlock so long,” Lorenzo sneered, “you've been _cheating_ , sitting here, getting fat on the ley line's power, letting people think you are this _amazing_ warlock. When all along you've been mediocre at best. It's pathetic.”

Madzie moved infinitesimally next to Alec and he put his hand on Madzie's shoulder to gently push her backwards, he knew where this was going and he didn't want her in danger. On the one hand, he couldn't wait for this smarmy, job stealing, _dick_ to get his comeuppance; but on the other hand he was slightly concerned about the safety of everyone in the room, and the building, and the city block if he was honest. 

Alec didn't want Madzie caught up in that, even though he knew she could hold her own if needed be. The phantom bruise he could feel on his back from when she'd thrown him into the ceiling made him smile. She was plenty powerful enough for the both of them.

“It's okay, Magnus is okay,” he said quietly to the small warlock, smiling down at her, “let's go over here and play, shall we?”

Madzie let herself be led away by her giant friend, but still kept half an ear out for if her first magic friend needed her. She didn't like the new man at all, she didn't want him to hurt anyone else, and she knew that she could help fix things.

“I don't need the ley line's power, Lorenzo,” Magnus replied, conjuring balls of amber light in his palms, “though now I think about it, that must have been why _you_ were so keen to get the job, you thought you could do with the help. You always were a sub-par warlock.”

All of the warlocks started to back away, those on the floor being helped up by friends or enemies alike. Everyone could see what was about to happen, and they didn't want to be in the middle of it.

“Oh really?” Lorenzo asked, attempting to circle around closer to Magnus.

Magnus moved in the same anti-clockwise direction, keeping the same amount of distance between them. “Look Lorenzo, do you really want to do this, in front of all of your guests?”

“Scared, Bane?”

Magnus didn't even deign to give Lorenzo an answer, just fired off a ball of light, which Lorenzo deflected with a hastily constructed shield. It pushed him backwards slightly, and Magnus smiled.

Lorenzo moved his own green light into a swirling whirlwind of light which made the curtains billow. It moved slowly though, and Magnus was able to move out of the way of it's path. The spell knocked over the champagne tower and there was a tinkling of glass.

Magnus sent tendrils of light towards the other man, hoping to circle him with the bands, pinning his arms to his side, but Lorenzo shot back a ball of light that knocked his feet out from under him. He saw Alec rock on the balls of his feet out of the corner of his eye, and he shook his head, standing up.

Lorenzo sent three small balls of magic towards Magnus in quick succession, making them orbit around the other warlock, the circle decreasing as they spun faster. Magnus put up a shield and pushed out with his power, making the balls of light hit three of the four walls in the room, creating scorch marks.

“Give it up, Lorenzo. This is ridiculous.”

“I completely agree, Magnus. You clearly aren't up to my standard. I think you should quit while you're ahead.”

Magnus lost patience then, firing six pulses of magic that formed into flat pieces of faintly glowing amber magic. They flew at Lorenzo at such a speed that the other man didn't have time to react. Before he knew it, he had been boxed in by the magic, stuck in a partially opaque cuboid of magic.

Lorenzo slammed his fist against the barrier, conjuring his magic into his hand, but couldn't break free of the wall of magic. 

Magnus smiled. It wouldn't hold for long, but it made his point very well.

“I'd get back to your guests if I were you, _High Warlock_.” Magnus said, crossing the room and snagging Alec's hand and turning to leave the area.

Madzie let go of Alec's other hand almost as soon as Magnus touched him, which made him wonder just what her powers would grow into, if she was already that intuitive. Perhaps she would become a healer like her Mom. As soon as he'd had that thought, he saw Catarina pushing people out of the way to get to them and Madzie ran off into her arms.

Cat mouthed a “thank you” across the room, and Alec smiled.

With a final look at the now non-dangerous chaos all over the ornate room, Alec let himself be manoeuvred away by his fantastic, magical boyfriend.

When they were back in the loft, Alec snagged the other of Magnus' hands and brought them both to his lips in a kiss.

“You are amazing, you know that?” Alec whispered reverently.

“I didn't do...”

“...you were on the back foot as soon as we got there, but when it all went wrong, you set aside your personal feelings and just saved people.”

Magnus didn't say anything for a moment, worried that Alec might think he _wouldn't_ have saved everyone.

“Lesser men would have stepped back and let the supposed most powerful man in the room deal with it out of spite. But you, Magnus Bane, are not a lesser man.”

Magnus smiled up at his boyfriend, unsure what to say. He wasn't sure he had the word to explain what Alec's assurances meant to him. He was about to open his mouth, when his partner continued.

“I mean you're catty, but...”

Magnus conjured a cushion into his hand just so that he could hit Alec around the head with it.

“Ow!” Alec said in mock pain, starting to laugh.

“'Catty'?” Magnus asked, laughing himself.

“What?!” Alec replied, totally unable to protect himself from the now multiple cushions that seemed to be flying at him.

“' _Catty_ '?”

“'I'd get back to your guests, High Warlock.'” Alec said, mimicking Magnus' voice and still laughing. “It was amazing. You should have seen the look on his face.”

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was posted pre-Episode 2, so any coincidences to that episode is me being psychic and I'll be just as freaked out as you lot. :D


End file.
